Georg Schmitt

The title of this article is ambiguous. Further meanings are listed under Georg Schmitt (disambiguation) .

Georg Schmitt

Georg Schmitt's birthplace in Trier

Johann Georg Gerhard Schmitt or Georges Schmitt (born March 11, 1821 in Trier ; † December 7, 1900 in Paris ) was a Franco-German composer , cathedral organist in Trier, organist in Saint-Sulpice and conductor at Saint-Germain-des- Prés in Paris.

Life

Burial site in the Pere Lachaise cemetery

Georg or Georges Schmitt was born in the Trier Moselle suburb of Zurlauben as a son of the married couple Johann Georg and Catharina Schmitt, née. Marx born. His father was a cathedral organist and died when Schmitt was eleven years old. Since he had already represented his father on the organ during his illness, the cathedral chapter sent him to Münster to study for two years, where he was taught by the music researcher and cathedral organist Franz Joseph Antony (1790–1837). In 1835 the fourteen-year-old was appointed cathedral organist in Trier. However, in 1842 he was dismissed due to permanent dissent with the cathedral chapter on artistic issues.

In 1844 Schmitt emigrated to Paris, where he worked as a church musician at various churches, including the parish of the German emigrant colony of St.-Joseph-des-Allemands. It was not possible to study at the Paris Conservatory (unlike what is often shown in literature). The excellent pianist Schmitt earned his living mainly as a piano teacher. In 1846, during his first visit to his homeland, he composed the Moselle song "Im wweit Deutschen Lande" based on a text by Theodor Reck (1815–1873), which established his fame in his old homeland. In 1847 in Paris he married the pianist Léontine Aline Pau (de) Saint-Martin, who came from a family of painters. Three of Schmitt's five children later worked as artists.

From August 1848 to the autumn of 1849 Schmitt stayed in the USA and was temporarily active as an organist at the Cathedral of New Orleans.

Back in Paris in December 1849 (official on January 1, 1850) Schmitt became titulaire at the great organ of Saint-Sulpice . At his instigation, the organ was expanded from 1857–1862 by the organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll into the imposing 100-register instrument (which can still be heard today). On April 30, 1863 he was released at Saint-Sulpice at the instigation of Cavaillé-Coll, who preferred to have his master instrument in the hands of Louis-James-Alfred Lefébure-Wely. Afterwards Schmitt worked as Kapellmeister (choirmaster) at various churches, including at Saint-Germain-des-Prés . Schmitt also worked for a few years at the famous church music school École Niedermeye r and had a number of capable students who later occupied important organist positions throughout France.

Schmitt gained importance through his commitment to church music reform. He fought for the departure from the secular repertoire of his time and advocated a return to the old, "true" church music. The Musée de musique religieuse , which he edited, served this goal with 48 original compositions, for which he was able to recruit some of his Parisian organist colleagues, including César Franck and Camille Saint-Saëns. Schmitt was one of the initiators of the Congrès pour la restauration du plain-chant [Choral] et de la musique d'église (Nov./Dec. 1860) and came into close contact with well-known Parisian colleagues. In the magazine Revue de musique sacrée religieuse he published numerous articles on church music reform and propagated ideas of the Cecilianism that was spreading in Germany . He thus became a mediator between German and French culture.

Schmitt's actual artistic goal in Paris was to assert himself as an opera composer. Although he was able to perform his four-act opera comique La belle Madeleine at the private Théâtre Déjazet and some operettas on smaller stages (at times supported by his compatriot Jacques Offenbach), he did not achieve a breakthrough. Especially after 1870/71 he was no longer in demand as a "German" composer - although officially a French citizen since 1872. He composed three large choral symphonies (in the Berlioz tradition of the Symphonie dramatique) and several cantatas for Paris composition competitions, but was unable to win a prize. The Symphonie dramatique Le Sinai (1879) was performed again in Trier in 2014 as part of the Moselle Music Festival. During his lifetime, many of his piano pieces and piano songs were printed in Paris.

Schmitt died on December 7, 1900 and was buried in the family grave in the Père Lachaise cemetery. Georg-Schmitt-Platz in Trier is named after him.

Compositions and writings (selection)

Schmitt wrote over 200 compositions and theoretical writings.

Sacred choral works

• O salutaris for mixed choir and organ (Paris: Régnier-Canaux, 1855)
• Tantum ergo for mixed choir a cappella or with organ (Paris: Régnier-Canaux, 1855)
• Regina cœli for mixed choir a cappella or with organ (Paris: Régnier-Canaux, 1855; new edition 2017 as Trois chœurs religieux )

“The Trois chœurs religieux are wonderfully vocal, practical choral works. Three well-known texts are set to music. The choir shouldn't shy away from heights and then find beautiful music that is just fun. In the O salutaris there is definitely a task waiting for the organist; the other two motets are easy to master. "

• Messe en la mineur , op.9 (Paris: Régnier-Canaux, 1857)
• Mass [en mi bemol majeur] , op. 130 (Paris: Eug. Matthieu, 1867)

Organ works

Le Musée de l'Organiste , 4 vols. (Paris: Simon Richault, around 1857)

• Vol. I, No. 15 Offertoire pour la Pentecôte in A major, dedicated to the organist Prosper-Charles Simon (new edition 2013)
• Vol. I, No. 25 Grande Marche (Procession) in C major (new edition 2013)
• Vol. II, No. 39 Magnificat solennel in D major, dedicated to his student Alfred Jung (new edition 2009)
• Vol. II, No. 41 Prélude fugué - Sortie A major, dedicated to the organist Charles Magner (new edition 2016)
• Vol. II, No. 49 Grand Offertoire in E major, dedicated to the organist and composer Louis James Alfred Lefébure-Wely (new edition 2009)
• Vol. IV, No. 77 Prélude (Procession) in C minor (new edition 2018)
• Vol. IV, No. 90 Offertoire in E flat major, dedicated to the organ builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll (new edition 2009)

Fantaisie fugué op.48 , C major (Paris: Étienne Repos, 1866; new edition 2016)

“Most of the organ works can certainly compete with those of his predecessor [sic: successor]. The Grand Offertoire (E major), which consists of several contrasting sections, is - like the final by César Franck - dedicated to Lefébure [-Wely] and, like the latter, also represents a certain kind of parody . The equally magnificent Offertoire (E flat major) works with full-fingered chords in the manner of [Jacques-Nicolas] Lemmens . "

Nouvelle method élémentaire et progressive d'Orgue et d'Harmonium (Paris: Étienne Repos, 1881)

• Six Études caractéristiques pour le Grand Orgue (new edition 2016)

No. 1 Offertoire in C major

No. 2 Communion in C major

No. 3 Grand Chœur - Sortie in G major

No. 4 Solo de Hautbois - Offertoire in C minor / C major

No. 5 Offertoire (Solo de Trompette) in D minor / D major

No. 6 Grand Chœur - Sortie in D major

• Fantaisie élégante - Offertoire A minor / A major (new edition 2016)

“The Six Études caractéristiques and the Fantaisie élégante are all taken from the appendix of Schmitt's organ and harmonium school. While the first two of the Etudes are still rather easy to play, the remaining four and the Fantasy are of a very high level and veritable concert pieces that require an accomplished organist. Schmitt requires an organ with a swell in the style of Cavaillé-Coll in order to adequately represent the pieces. "

Stage works

• La belle Madeleine (1866), Opéra comique in four acts; lost
• Anacréon , opera in one act (9 scenes), unpublished.

Orchestral works

• Ilion , Symphonie héroïque en quatre parties (1866/67) - manuscript preserved.
• Le Sinaï, Scènes de la vie du peuple hébreux , Symphonie en trois parties avec Solos et chœurs (before 1879); performed again at the Mosel Music Festival 2014 in Trier; Score and performance material: www.wolfgang-grandjean.de
• Le Feu du Ciel , Symphonie lyrique en quatre parties, text: Victor Hugo (1881) - manuscript preserved.

Songs

German society songs

• Rheinlied: "There, where the old Rhine" (around 1840)
• Moselle song: "In the wide German land" (1846)

French mélodies

• La Lyre du jeune âge , op.10 (Paris: Benard-Taberau, 1853)
• Rapelle-toi , words: Alfred de Musset (Paris: E. Chaillot, 1855)
• Il there, Berceuse , words: Louis Ratisbonne (Paris: C. Alard, 1878)
• Le vase brisé, Mélancolie , words: Sully Prudhomme (Paris: Thauvin, 1880)
• Ecstasy , words: Victor Hugo (Paris: Thauvin, 1882) New edition: Georges Schmitt: "21 Mélodies, Romances, Chansons", ed. v. Wolfgang Grandjean (Trier: H. Kessler, 2016)

Piano works

• La Barbier de Seville - Caprice for piano op.24 on themes from Gioachino Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia , dedicated to his friend (or piano student) Eugène Ruel (Paris: Benoît Aîné, 1856; new edition 2012)
• Prière d'Othello - Petite Fantaisie Facile for piano op. 25 on the Preghiera "Deh calma, o ciel" from Rossini's Otello , dedicated (to his piano student) to Hélène de Simony (Paris: Benoît Aîné, 1856; new edition 2012)
• Toccata in D minor / D major for piano (organ) op.167 (Paris: Henri Thauvin, n.d.; new edition 2009)

Fonts

• Nouveau manuel complet de l'organiste praticien , 3 vols. (Paris: Manuels-Roret, 1855)
• Nouvelle méthode pour la formation des chœurs et des maîtrises (Paris: E. Repos, ca.1861 )

literature

• Wolfgang Grandjean: Organ and Opera. Georges Schmitt 1821–1900, a Franco-German musician in Paris. Biography and work, with a list of works . Olms , Hildesheim Zurich New York 2015 (Musicological Publications, 43), ISBN 978-3-487-15181-6 .
• Maria Schröder-Schiffhauer: The forgotten laurel - The story of the cathedral organist Johann Georg Gerhard Schmitt from Trier. Biographical novel (2 vols.). JG Bläschke , Sankt Michael 1980. (Many "facts" are fictitious).
• On the 100th year of Georg Schmitt's death ; several contributions by different authors in the New Trierisches Jahrbuch . Vol. 40 (2000).
• Alfons Friderichs (Ed.): Schmitt, Johann Georg Gerhard , In: "Personalities of the Cochem-Zell District" , Kliomedia, Trier 2004, ISBN 3-89890-084-3 , p. 311.
• Heinz Monz (Ed.): Schmitt, Johann Georg Gerhard . In: Trier Biographisches Lexikon , Wissenschaftlicher Verlag Trier, 2000, ISBN 3-88476-4004 , p. 408.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ All biographical information from: Wolfgang Grandjean: Orgel und Oper. Georges Schmitt 1821-1900 . (see literature)
2. ↑ Trier-Orgelpunkt.de: Georg Schmitt, organist 1835-1842.
3. ↑ On Schmitt's stay in New Orleans see also The Music Program of the Cathedral-Basilica of St. Louis, King of France . - The information given there about Schmitt's biography and work is not always correct.
4. ^ Wolfgang Grandjean: Organ and Opera. Georges Schmitt 1821-1900: A Franco-German musician in Paris. Biography and work with a catalog raisonné (GSWv). Georg Olms Verlag , Hildesheim 2015, ISBN 978-3-487-15181-6 , pp. 463-523.
5. ↑ Manuel Braun in Church Music in the Diocese of Limburg , 1/2019 (May 1), p. 95, see [1] .
6. ↑ William J. Peterson also writes about Schmitt's Offertoire pour la Pentecôte in his article Storm Fantasies for the Nineteenth-Century Organ in France , in: Keyboard Perspectives - Yearbook of the Westfield Center for Historical Keyboard Studies , 2009, Vol. 2, pp. 1-29.
7. ↑ The Trier cathedral organist Josef Still played this Magnificat solennel on May 18, 2010 in the opening concert of the International Organ Days at the Schwalbennestorgel of the Trier Cathedral St. Peter ; a recording is available on YouTube [2] .
8. ↑ The recording of a concert performance of this offertoire on February 19, 2014 from St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans is available on YouTube [3] : Janet Daley Duval briefly introduces Georg Schmitt's French organ music and the short period of time that the Musician has spent in New Orleans (from [50:27]); the organ performance by Thomas Kientz follows from [51:38] to [57:55]. The program of the corresponding concert, entitled Postcards from Paris, can be found at The Historic New Orleans Collection (THNOC) under archive link ( Memento of the original from June 29, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . 
9. ↑ Wolfgang Nickel in Church Music in the Diocese of Limburg , 1/2010 (May 1), p. 52.
10. ↑ Manuel Braun in Church Music in the Diocese of Limburg , 1/2019 (May 1), p. 79.

Web links

Commons : Georges Schmitt  - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files

• Sheet music editions
• Sheet music and audio files by Georg Schmitt in the International Music Score Library Project
• Entry on Georg Schmitt in the Rhineland-Palatinate personal database

predecessor	Office	successor
Louis Nicolas Séjan	Titular organist of the Saint-Sulpice Church 1850–1863	Louis-James-Alfred Lefébure-Wély